Highway closure chokes supplies, prices soar in Kashmir

Srinagar, Aug 29: The closure of the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway for the fourth consecutive day on Friday has severely disrupted the supply chain into the Valley, triggering a sharp spike in the prices of essentials such as vegetables, chicken, and eggs, while mutton has gone scarce amid the ongoing marriage season.

Kashmir’s heavy dependence on supplies ferried through the 270-km-long highway has once again been exposed, with even routine vegetables becoming unaffordable for ordinary households.

“Just a few days back, chicken was available at Rs 120 per kilogram, today it is being sold at Rs 170. Eggs too are costlier. The crisis is such that even collard greens, a locally grown staple, are selling at Rs 100 per bundle,” said Mohammad Ashraf, a shopkeeper in Srinagar’s Batamaloo market.

Mutton dealers, meanwhile, are struggling to balance between dwindling supply and mounting demand due to the ongoing marriage season. “There is hardly any stock available in the market. Whatever little is arriving is being diverted to marriages as dealers are bound by prior commitments,” said Abdul Rashid, a mutton retailer.

The scarcity and price rise have been worsened by the government’s 2023 decision to deregulate essential commodities like mutton, chicken, vegetables, and fruits. With no official price cap in place, traders and retailers have been fixing rates arbitrarily, leaving consumers to bear the brunt.

“Kashmir has become a hostage to highway closures. Every time the road shuts, the first casualty is the common consumer. Prices go haywire because there is no regulatory mechanism anymore,” said Bashir Ahmad, a Srinagar resident. “The government’s deregulation decision has proved disastrous for both traders and consumers. We are the worst sufferers when supplies don’t move.”

Officials said that the highway remained blocked due to multiple landslides triggered by incessant rains in the Udhampur-Ramban stretch. The road was hit by landslides between Jakheni and Chenani in Udhampur district on Tuesday after heavy rainfall and flash floods.

“The highway is closed for the fourth day. No vehicular movement shall be allowed from Nagrota in Jammu towards Reasi, Chenani, Patnitop, Doda, Ramban, Banihal and Srinagar,” a traffic police spokesperson said.

Authorities have further advised commuters travelling from Katra and Udhampur towns to carry valid ID cards so their movement can be facilitated smoothly through diversionary routes, where possible.

Meanwhile, officials confirmed that over 2,000 vehicles, including hundreds of trucks carrying essential supplies, remain stranded on different stretches of the highway. The closure has also affected intra-regional connectivity in Jammu, with nine inter-district roads blocked due to landslides and road erosion.

Dozens of villages in Jammu, Samba, Kathua, and Udhampur have been cut off, compounding the crisis. “We are making every effort to clear the landslides, but persistent rain is hampering restoration work,” said an official from the district administration.

For residents of the Valley, however, the crisis feels all too familiar. “Every year, the highway closure cripples our lives. We are told it is the only all-weather road, but in reality, it fails us whenever there is heavy rain or snowfall,” said Shabnam, a homemaker from Srinagar.